Articles

A lengthy article written by Doran in preparation for a book-length manuscript, The Trinity in History. This article provides an extensive commentary on the second chapter of The Triune God: Systematics. Further commentary articles on this volume will be forthcoming.

Christian mystical writing expresses symbolically the complexities of conscious experience identified by Bernard Lonergan as 'differentiations of consciousness.' In order for the insights of such literature to penetrate theoretic systematic theology, there must be effected a theoretic account of conscious experience that is of sufficient depth to account for the differentiations witnessed to by mystical writing. This article attempts a preliminary effort of that type by taking key elements of the MACARIAN HOMILIES as pointers to further areas requiring systematic theoretic development. Building on the suggestions of three scholars working within a Lonergan-grounded horizon, this article articulates a theory of the divinely enraptured subject as revelatory and suggests that such a position is a theoretic account of the symbolically-expressed grasp of conscious experience articulated in the MACARIAN HOMILIES.

The question of the natural desire for God was raised prominently in the twentieth century by Henri de Lubac in SURNATUREL (1946), and his position was most famously responded to by Karl Rahner with his suggestion of a supernatural existential. Bernard Lonergan's work did not play a major role in this conversation, but a response grounded in his work can be constructed. This article is such a response, comparing Karl Rahner's theology of the supernatural existential with Bernard Lonergan's articulation of obediential potency. Lonergan's understanding of obediential potency is articulated first, stressing its links to universal order and human social reality. This is followed by a presentation of Rahner's supernatural existential, before it is shown that, while the two are similar, Lonergan's notion of obediential potency is a better systematic position on the relation between nature and grace.

This paper engages those thinkers who have called into question Thomas Merton’s understanding of Buddhism. While there are various criticisms, of interest to Lonergan readers in this paper is the assumption that Zen is based on a wordless or unmediated experience, and, that some consideration regarding the questions of method in the dialogue with Buddhism need to be addressed. I will offer some comments on Merton’s reliance on D.T. Suzuki, the recent critique of Suzuki from various scholars, the issue of unmediated experience, and some comments on method for interreligious dialogue.

Abstract: This paper addresses some of the developments in the theoretical reflection on conversion following Lonergan's threefold differentiation of conversion as intellectual, moral, and religious, and it also addresses the issues arising from this development. Specifically, the paper begins by focusing on the contributions of Robert Doran (psychic conversion) and Bernard Tyrrell (affectional conversion). Each has made significant contributions to integrate further Lonergan's theories into psychology. There follows an attempt to situate these developments in light of Lonergan's comments concerning 'affective' conversion in an attempt to bring some clarity and succinctness to the discussion.

This paper uses the thought of Bernard Lonergan,
Clifford Geertz, Mircea Eliade and Robert Doran, to investigate sacred symbols. It argues that certain primary sacred symbols in a community function in an explanatory way.
The paper concludes by illustrating how key symbols function in three religions:
a native American religion, Christianity and Buddhism. The paper argues that besides attending to the symbols of a religion, it is also necessary to pay attention to the concrete drama of daily living if we are to be able to interpret the symbols correctly.

This paper was delivered at the Lonergan Workshop, Boston College, on 21 June 2006. The author begins: "To honor St. Ignatius of Loyola on the 450th anniversary of his birth into glory, I will bring Bernard Lonergan and Teilhard de Chardin into dialogue on a general and a particular topic central to the Spiritual
Exercises, and central to the work of these exemplary sons of Ignatius. Lonergan's theology of the Holy Trinity is the general topic, and the particular is Teilhard’s Christology."

This article originally appeared in Method: Journal of Lonergan Studies 13/2 (Fall 1995) 161-175. Three addenda are added at the end that incorporate materials made generally available after the publication of this article. The author includes them here to help researchers cover as many bases as possible.

Originally Published: "College and the Christian Vision," Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture 4:4 (Fall 2001) 122-132. The final section entitled ―The Christian College‖ is the addition indicated by the ―2‖ in the title.

Many of these definitions are drawn, at least in part, from two generally available Internet sources. The first is from the University of San Diego (http://ethics.sandiego.edu/LMH/E2/Glossary.asp, Retrieved on April 2, 2009). The second is part of a site designed to meet the needs EDECEL Foundations’ London Examinations re ―Religion in Relation to Philosophy, Ethics and Morality‖ (www.rsweb.org.uk/ ethics/glossary.html Paper 4, Unit D1). I have shortened or amplified some of these definitions. Others I have composed based on my own studies. Terms from certain other sources are indicated in the endnotes.
-Tad Dunne, PhD. Siena Heights University. 2010

61 key terms that appear in Lonergan's works, followed by the main primary sources. Full bibliographic data of works cited appear at the end. Reprinted from Tad Dunne, Doing Better: The Next Revolution in Ethics (Marquette University Press, 2010)